2010 BWAA Awards: Sergio Martinez Tops Manny Pacquiao As Fighter of the Year

WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez has won over pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao as BWAA "Fighter of the Year" for 2010.

Martinez earns his prestigious award for his performance over Kelly Pavlik, for which he won his world middleweight title, and for his sensational win over Paul Williams last Nov. 20.

Martinez, who began boxing at age 20, is a former cyclist and a soccer player. His professional record in boxing consists of 46 wins, two losses and two draws.

The "Sugar" Ray Robinson "Fighter of the Year" award recipient is the second Argentinean to receive the prestigious award, the first being Carlos Monzon in 1972.

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao was second in the balloting by the BWAA membership, followed by heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, junior flyweight champion Giovani Segura and super middleweight titlist Andre Ward.

Pacquiao, who achieved an incredible record of eight wins in eight different divisions, won twice last year, over Joshua Clottey of Ghana and Antonio Margarito of Mexico.

Boxing trainer Freddie Roach has won the equally prestigious "Trainer of the Year" award for the third time in a row.

Roach trains Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan as part of his elite stable of champions, contenders and prospects who excelled in 2010. The award has always had special meaning for Roach because it's named after his late mentor, Eddie Futch.

WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan, who was pushed to the limit in winning a unanimous 12-round decision over Marcos Maidana last December, shared the “Ali-Frazier” award for “Fight of the Year.”

All award winners will be honored at the BWAA's 86th annual dinner, tentatively set for May 6, 2011 in Las Vegas.